[dominique-santos]

maximilianvandekamp

“You do?” He blinked, his gaze flickering back to her almost as quick as it had left. Once, twice, features losing their usual level of guard as he stared at the girl before him– surprised. He was cocky. He was confident. He was both of those and more, and he knew how to use his words, his looks, everything at his disposal to get a point across and make it believable. Being genuine– and for once in his life, he’d actually been genuine– was unfamiliar to him, and he hadn’t believed for one second that she would ever really say those three words. At a loss for words for a few long seconds, the previous half-smirk which he’d been wearing had been wiped completely out of place and a small, true smile grew in it’s place. There was work to be done, obviously. She didn’t trust him, and rightfully so… he’d treated her badly in his bid to push her away before she’d even got close, and that had caused damage he wasn’t sure he could ever really repair. No amount of flirting or confident declarations could heal that, and he knew that he would need to work to do so but… for the time being, at least, he had something. “Thank you,” he replied finally, words as unfamiliar to him as being genuine was. “I promise you– I’ll do what I need to, to create some… trust. I’ll do whatever I can,” he sounded as if her were taking some solemn vow, and maybe he was, “To heal the damage I caused.”

“Yes,” she sighed, twisting her mouth to the side as she thought over what to say. She dared to look at him, and their eyes connected for what she thought was a moment, and she was almost lost in them. It was grossly theatrical, one of those moments where one begins to slip into a different level of existence where they are on one plane and time is on another. She stared, unblinking, and fell deeper and deeper into them as the lake scene around them began to fade to the very back of her mind. However, she was shocked back to her wits when he spoke, and she had to refrain from shaking her head to snap out of the momentary daze that she was caught in. She mentally scolded herself for being so easily manipulated. It was a fault, and would cost her dear one day. As he spoke, she tried to detach herself from his words, his affections, his movements. She knew that just because she forgave him didn’t mean they had to be best buds, and so she tried to recall the words he’d said to her earlier for a little bit of inspiration why she shouldn’t completely cave. Clearing her throat with the tiniest cough, she now avoided his eyes at all costs as she spoke. “I just believe that everyone- even if they were extremely unnecessarily mean -should have a second chance. So that’s what i’ll give you.”

[dominique-santos]

repairboy-leo

He shrugged, looking down at his dusty shoes. “Yeah, probably. I’m pretty sure I’m just crazy, like always.” He smiled and adjusted his toolbelt.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure you are,” she agreed easily.

[dominique-santos]

repairboy-leo

“Yeah, probably. Or maybe they’re just really good at being bad.” Leo implied, smiling as he ran a hand through his hair.

“Good at being bad? I’m sure that’s not the case.”

[dominique-santos]

jaqkent

“Go ahead. I mean, if you’re gonna do like last time, I’m not a shy guy.”

“Interesting...” Dominique mused, tapping her lower lip with a colorful nail. “Okay, so I dare you to either jump in the cold lake, or pants an Ares kid.”

[theoriginals-descended]

Visit Original Link

I didn’t have a butterfly so you get a nebula

[dominique-santos]

maximilianvandekamp

It was no surprise to him, when she pulled his hand from her cheek– situations flipped, he’d have done the same. Though it did surprise him that she didn’t push him away immediately… keeping a hold of his hand for many moments longer than expected, before finally letting go. Pulling his hand back, running his fingers through brown curls, Max was visibly disarmed by her first question. His gaze was averted across the lake for a few moments and he seemed to have to think about his reply. Or at least, the wording of it. Really– he didn’t know why he was apologizing. As a general rule of thumb, he didn’t. But he’d hurt her, and he hadn’t really wanted to, and now… he was saying more sorry’s than he’d probably said in his life time, just to try make up for what he’d done. Dominique, it seemed, had a strange effect on him. “I don’t know,” he answered finally, and truthfully. Finally looking back to her, meeting her brown eyed gaze again in hopes that she would see the truth of his words, Max sighed. “I think… because I am. Sorry, I mean. Because I see the hurt I caused, and I don’t like knowing I’m the reason for it. I don’t know why that is.” She threw him, really. For someone that he’d met not very long ago– who’d given him a fake name, who he had hurt– he cared more about her current happiness than he’d cared for anyone’s recently. He just didn’t know why, and he certainly didn’t have a good enough reason for why she should believe him. Maybe that’s why he reverted to his usual. “You’re going to like me, Dominique,” though his lips upturned in a crooked little smile, it really lacked his usual confidence. Even as he said it, he wasn’t sure if he was saying what he believed of her– or of himself. “Though I find it hard to believe that you don’t already– You could… and I feel that’s as good a reason as any.”

Dominique imitated his movements, using her fingers to comb her hair towards the back of her head and away from her face.  At this point in time, her thoughts were confused and jumpy and impossible to put into words. She was in one of those situations where her head was at war with her heart. Her head told her to stay away, but her heart told her to try and see the best of him. And fortunately for Max, and perhaps unfortunate for Dominique in the future, her heart had always been the stronger of the two organs. She believed that at their roots people were good, and that all negativity had to have been added into them after birth by experiences that shaped them in the wrong way. Dominique, in her benevolent and gullible spirit, saw just that. His voice, his face, the time he took to apologize- Dom believed he was good, and just made people think he was bad, led astray by some sort of sad backstory. She didn’t push for details, but she thought that she had a pretty clear picture of who he was now. Heart having won the war with her mind, it locked away her bad faith against him, hopefully forever but perhaps only temporarily. She took deep breath and let it out in a sigh, following his dazzling blue eyes out over the water. “Alright, Max. I forgive you,” she said, tentatively. 

[repairboy-leo-deactivated201602]

“Hey- ow, shit! I mean,” Leo rubbed the back of his head. “No, that’s exactly what I mean. But what was that for?”

[dominique-santos]

Dominique chuckled lightly at the boy. “Don’t mind it, Leo. Someone is probably just really bad at volleyball.”

[dominique-santos]

jaqkent

“Aw, suspense is for optimistics.”

Off she went to the Ares cabin. After a couple of minutes, she was skipping back to Jaq and stopped in front of him, right where she left him. “Done. Easy. So, my turn?”

[littlemusingthings]

Tell me pretty lies     Look me in the face        Tell me that you love me           Even if it’s  f a k e  

[dominique-santos]

maximilianvandekamp

He should have given her the permanent space that she not only desired, but deserved. Max was well aware that he’d passed asshole territory in the way he’d treated her… like she was dirt beneath his shoe, nothing more than a ‘pretty face’. Truth was, he didn’t think of anyone as just a pretty face. And he tried so hard to keep up that facade, that people didn’t really matter to him– but it was in times like these, when he was faced with the consequences of his own actions and words, that Max’s true colors really started to shine through. It had certainly taken a while.

“Because…” he trailed off, and there was really no reply. As bad as he felt, as willing as he was in the moment to fix everything… Max wasn’t so good at explaining his thoughts. Ignoring her words (especially the question about his ‘damage’… maybe a door to open another day, maybe one to be kept shut forever), not even bothering in trying to finish his earlier start, Max went with his gut. He leant forward, and more gentle than he’d been even when he was pulling her back earlier, he grasped her chin– turning her face so that she was looking at him, but not keeping that hold for long. Instead, he moved his hand to rest against her cheek, using his thumb to brush away a tear track caught in the sunlight. “I’m sorry,” he repeated, and his time, his voice was at normal volume. He was about as genuine as he could get– which, was saying a lot considering he was rarely even genuine with Eleanor. “And I’m… really not the person I’d have you believe I am. I’m not like that. But… I like tosay I am,” he hoped she could understand– though, he couldn’t imagine she would. Maybe he was an asshole, but there was no reason for him to become who he did when he was really trying. “I’d rather have everyone think that. And I want– no, I need– you to believe me when I say… that I am sorry, for the pain I’ve caused you. Not just because you’re much too pretty to look so sad, but because– your happiness is one which should remain intact.”

Dominique, for some gods-know-why reason, remained silent and didn’t object when she felt his hand on her chin. Maybe it was Max’s mother pulling some strings, or maybe it was just that Dom was extremely tired and resistance at this point would be fruitless. She felt a tingle where he brushed her cheek with his thumb, the same tingle she got when he held her wrist, and the same tingle she got when he spoke in the low tone when they stood inches apart. It was hard to figure out whether the tingle was from anger or attraction. And what frustrated her more than him insisting on talking to her was the idea that she could still be attracted to him. What struck her next was his voice. Although different from the voice he used earlier, it was still captivating. And it practically oozed sincerity. She sat in silence, her brown eyes flicking between his two blue crystals. She couldn’t believe she didn’t get up and walk away. She was like putty in his hand- like every other girl he probably hit on. It was ridiculous. Instead of smacking his hand away, she gently pulled his fingers from her cheek. Her breathing was light and beginning to gain stability. When he was done speaking, he had effectively damaged her even more. It was so much easier to believe he was either one kind of person or another. But now she was completely confused about who he was. He sounded so sincere now that it hurt to think that he was lying, but he honestly scared her. She didn’t feel safe with someone who could so easily flip their words and lie to people’s faces. And yet, here she was, falling for his words and compliments and his touch. “Why are you apologizing?” she asked, cautiously, eyes narrowing slightly. She let go of his hand, brushing at her own cheeks. “And why should I believe you?”

[dominique-santos]

maximilianvandekamp

The moment he saw Dominique, Max froze. He seriously considered making a swift retreat, finding some other quiet spot in the camp to sulk in for the time being. The lake might have been preferred, but to see her again after how he’d treated her… it wouldn’t have been good. But, the anger that had been fueling hime earlier from fights and family drama was gone. He was filled with regret, for how he’d acted, what he’d said… how he’d worked to push her away before she’d even got close. Like earlier, when he’d found words he didn’t even want to say tumbling from his mouth, Max found his feet carrying him closer. The way she hid her face from who she must have thought was a stranger only made him feel more wretched, and he once again continued leaving but forced himself, now, to continue. Kneeling beside her, he took a deep breath… and apologized. Just like he should have, from moment one. “I’m sorry,” it came out filled with more emotion than anything he’d said previously, and he wasn’t even sure if that were good or bad, “I’m so sorry.”

Hearing the voice, her heart froze. The last person in the universe that she wanted to talk to. She thought maybe if she avoided common places and her cabin, she wouldn’t be sought out. Now her only safe haven was breached by Max, and she felt trapped. She turned away from the sound of his voice, trying to cover up the fact that she was trying to quickly dry her cheeks so he wouldn’t see that they were wet with tears. 

Although Dominique could hear emotion in his voice, it was understandably difficult for her to believe it. Just about an hour ago he had been breaking down her emotions, and just like with a building, it’s a lot easier to do that than build it back up. The apology meant next-to-nothing to her. She didn’t believe him at all. As far as she was concerned, her was just playing her for a fool once again. This time she was determined not to be so completely stupid. “I don’t understand why you keep talking to me when I keep telling you not to.” She replied, her voice obviously uneven and raspy. She sniffled a little, silently shaming herself for appearing to be so completely desperate. “What’s your damage, Max? Can’t you just make me feel bad and leave it at that?” Why do you have to make it worse?

[dominique-santos]

@maximilianvandekamp

Dominique was running out of tissues, and pretty soon she’d need to venture back to her cabin to grab some more. She dabbed a crumpled one against her salty cheek, looking up at the sky to try to stop herself. How could she possibly be so brokenhearted over someone she hardly knew? The answer was simple but painful. Dominique, once you broke her barrier of happiness, was extremely sensitive. Sitting by the edge of the lake, Dom found herself wishing that it was warmer so that she could dip her feet in and ignore the rest of the camp. Hearing the crunch of the wintery dead grass behind her, she hid her face between her knees in case the camper tried to bother her.

[dominique-santos]

maximilianvandekamp

He wanted to stop. But everything was snowballing, from where it had started to where it was swiftly going to end up. Max was in the wrong– and he knew that, he knew he was being irrational and downright cruel. At the same time, though…he was saving this having to happen months into the future. Who knew what kind of a friendship the two could have built, and how much worse it could have been. He was destructive, he would have ruined it eventually, and bringing it to an end so soon would only be good for her… at least, that’s what he tried to tell himself. It was physically paining, to see her face so distorted. He hadn’t been lying when he’d called her attractive, but her beauty had run deeper– it all came from the expression on her face, the goodness. It was rather fitting for a child of rainbows, really. Now that she was frowning, it felt wrong, and he hated that he was causing that– which only confused him, because in the grand scheme she’d meant so little and someday, he’d forget he ever hurt her at all. Compassion. Not an emotion that he was familiar with. “Are you scared to admit I’m right?” He asked softly, words losing some of the cruelty in his voice before. “I understand. You don’t want to admit you got enchanted by a pretty face– happens to the best of us.” Max almost took her hand again, multiple apologies on the tip of his tongue– instead, he took an almost would be respectful step back, holding up both hands in the innocent gesture as he continued to step back, making a slow (somewhat reluctant, considering how much he wanted to take it all back) exit“At least you’ve learned a valuable life lesson, right? I’m just sorry it had to happen this way, darling.”

Dominique didn’t know how to deal with her current situation. She had never been in a situation like this. She didn’t know if this was a normal thing for normal people, and it was just her that made it a big deal. She didn’t know if she should just be shrugging this off and walking away because Max didn’t actually matter that much to her. She didn’t know if she felt so bad because of how he was treating her, or because she had actually felt a potential for something between them beyond the friendships that she usually had. Whatever the case, she felt really bad. Running a hand through her chocolate brown hair, she looked at the ground, listening to his words but not wanting to hear them. It was as if he was trying to make Dom feel like a pawn on his own personal chessboard, as if he wanted to hurt her. She found herself asking: What did she do to deserve this? Open up? Let herself trust someone? If this is what it felt like to be betrayed, then she didn’t ever want to trust someone again. She felt a lump forming in her throat that threatened tears, but she wasn’t going to cry in front of him. She couldn’t manage words, instead she just turned and started away, this time at a considerable run. She had to purge her life of Max Van de Kamp. She had to pretend he never existed, and go back to how things were. She just wanted to smile again, but first she needed to cry.

[itspearlblood-deactivated201705]

[dominique-santos]

maximilianvandekamp

Regret. Aside from anger, it was probably the emotion Max felt strongest and most often. And, at the look on her face, it was about the only thing he did feel anymore. As Dominique turned to leave, Max made a split second decision. Lurching forward, he wrapped his fingers around her wrist gently, but enough that it stopped her from leaving. Grip tightening enough so he could pull her back around to face him, there was now just inches between them– very different to when there’d been a few feet. Suddenly, things changed again. He wanted to insist on his earlier point. He wanted to say that this wasn’t him, and that he was sorry… he’d just been trying to save having to do this a lot farther down the line. But he couldn’t get the words out, and maybe that was obvious from how he took a few stabling breathes, eyes studying her face. All he wanted was to make this awful situation he’d created go away, all of a sudden, and despite that he couldn’t. Instead, he couldn’t stop himself from continuing. “Tell me you weren’t interested,” he breathed, so low that it was a good thing they were so close now, “Or… Or tell me you didn’t want to go to dinner with me. Not even a little bit.”

Dominique just wanted to get out of there. His attitude was poison, and she had to try as hard as possible not to associate herself with it, despite whatever she might have thought of him before. She couldn’t believe that she actually thought he was decent. Dom shook her head in frustration when she remembered his smile, probably the thing she liked the most about him. Liked being the key word. Now all she could see was that cocky smile followed by harsh words. When she felt a hand on her wrist, she was about to pull it way but the grip tightened and forced her around so that she was facing Max. What made her even more frustrated was that when he spoke in the low, breathy voice she got a tingle on her arms and the back of her neck. Their proximity didn’t help either. Her body was telling her that this was an extraordinarily attractive individual. And it was right. He was a song of beauty. But her mind knew better than to trust him for even a second. He just wanted to play games with her, tease her, use her, no different from his siblings. Dominique knew she couldn’t answer his question truthfully without leading him on. She did want to go to dinner with him, she was interested in him. Either she had to break her own code and lie, or she just didn’t answer. She went with the obvious choice. “I said don’t talk to me.” she snapped back. Such a frown on such a beautiful face as Dominique’s looked out of place and unflattering. She could feel the negative energy running through her veins and making her heart feel more enclosed than usual. It was hurting, and there was a very good chance that once she was able to rid herself of Max’s presence, the anger would subside and she would just let the tears flow. “And don’t touch me,” she added, yanking her arm from his grip.

[dominique-santos]

jaqkent

“What a way to disappoint a guy!” He shouted after her, with a chuckle.

“Think of it as building suspense!” she called back over her shoulder, a sly grin playing at her lips.

[dominique-santos]

jaqkent

“Just surprise me.”

Dominique simply laughed, turning and walking in the direction of the Ares cabin.